SB Nation - Alabama Crimson Tide

SEC 2000-10: The Best Player -- Tim Tebow

Year2 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:00:18 -0000

by Mark Humphrey - AP

Tim Tebow hugging then offensive coordinator Dan Mullen after the BCS Championship NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Miami.

View full size photo »

Thanks to a lot of reasons—big time recruiters inhabiting the coaching ranks, the general population shift southward, a disproportionately large number of storied programs, etc.—the SEC has seen a lot of fantastic players at every position over the last decade. One stands out from all the rest though: Tim Tebow.

It's difficult to say whether then-UF co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison was correct in saying during the recruiting process that Florida's program would be set back 10 years if it didn't sign Tebow. It certainly would have made things a lot different had he chosen to go to his runner up school, Alabama. Mike Shula might still be in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban would be at some other place, and Florida would have gone into 2006 spring practice with Chris Leak as the only scholarship quarterback. It's one of the conference's greatest what ifs.

However, he did end up in Gainesville and things would not be the same. Florida definitely does not win the 2006 national championship without him as DeShawn Wynn and Kestahn Moore were not picking up all those crucial third downs that season. He became the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy in his 2007 campaign, paving the way for Sam Bradford and Mark Ingram to win it the following two years. He led the 2008 Florida squad to one of the best seasons ever in the SEC, as no team has won as many in-conference games by 28+ points (seven) or by 30+ points (six) as that one did. In 2009, it didn't end the way it was expected but he still helped get Florida to its second ever 12-0 start and pushed the school's record winning streak to 22 in a row.

That 2007 Heisman winning season was easily his best individually. He passed for 3,286 yards at a 66.9% completion rate, both career highs. He accounted for three or more touchdowns in 12 of the team's 13 games, including a ridiculous seven against South Carolina. He about single-handedly won that year's Ole Miss and Kentucky games. He became the first player ever to score 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in a season. He had 51 touchdowns by the time Heisman ballots were in...

...and he tacked on four more in the Capital One Bowl to push his season total to 55. If Florida had a reasonable semblance of a defense, the Gators would have been in the thick of the national title race.

TUESDAY: What a Decade It's Been; Mike Price's Trip to Pensacola

WEDNESDAY: The Zook Experiment; Georgia Hires Mark Richt

THURSDAY: The Best Game; Auburn's Rise and Fall; Rivalry of the Decade

FRIDAY: The Worst Game; The Rise of the Nicktator; The Promise

TODAY: Exit Phil Fulmer

In 2008 his yardage and scoring totals came down a bit, but the team success was up. It took a couple of games to get going, but once all the pieces were in place around Tebow (and after a loss and The Promise refocused things), the scoring began to increase at a frightening pace. The regular season was capped off by Tebow's signature game, the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. He three three touchdown passes, all on third down and two of which were in the fourth quarter. It was a tour de force and the sort of game where you could tell that he would not let his team lose.

Tebow returned in 2009 to win another championship, but ghastly levels of attrition at wide receiver, a new offensive coordinator, problems with blitz protection, and an inexplicable defensive collapse at the worst possible time kept it from being the season to remember that everyone figured it would be. Urban Meyer put nearly all the load on him in the SEC title game rematch with Alabama, as 45 of the Gators' 49 plays were either passes or Tebow rushes. He came through to the tune of nearly seven yards per play on Bama's great defense and five trips inside the Tide 30 on nine possessions. Without any defensive support whatsoever, it was like 2007 all over again. There's only so much one man, even Tim Tebow, can do by himself.

Even so, he's the only quarterback to play in three SEC Championship Games and two national title games this decade. He brought back the jump pass, invented the one-man play action, and added "Tebow smash" to our lexicon.

He was 11-1 as a starter against Florida's big three rivals and 15-1 overall against them (not to mention 3-1 against LSU). He delivered Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier their worst losses as head coaches, Rich Brooks' second worst loss as a head coach, Les Miles' worst loss at LSU, and Bobby Bowden's worst loss to Florida since 1983. He's been the face of college football for two seasons. And as much as Tebow fatigue wore on people around the conference and nation, he still received the highest of compliments from about all rival fans: they have warned for almost two years now that they'd get Florida just as soon as Tebow leaves. Once he's gone, they say, watch out.

That is why Tim Tebow is the SEC player of the decade.

The 1926 Rose Bowl: Alabama vs Washington

kleph — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:00:15 -0000

Alabama has played in a total of six Rose Bowl games and Roll Bama Roll is looking back at each of those historic football contests. Today we turn our attention to the Crimson Tide's first appearance in the New Year's Day classic, the 1926 contest versus Washington.

Alabama’s first appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1926 was not just a landmark event for Crimson Tide football, it was "the Game that changed the South." Until that time the recognized powers of the gridiron dwelt on either coast and in the hoary Midwest. It was up to this upstart team from Tuscaloosa to change that perception but it wasn't going to be easy.

An estimated 45,000 spectators were in attendance.

By the 1920s, the Tournament of Roses inter-sectional matchup of the best football team from both sides of the country had become the de facto national championship game.

The popularity of Pasadena, California’s premier event had prompted the organizers to construct the largest stadium in the country in 1922 – the Rose Bowl.

As Alabama wrapped up a dominant 1925 season there was little consideration the Crimson Tide would be playing one more game on New Year’s Day. Southern teams simply weren’t invited to the Tournament of Roses invitational - even teams as dominant as Alabama.

Under head coach Wallace Wade, the Crimson Tide had become a gridiron juggernaut. In his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa the Crimson Tide had outscored opponents 516 to 74 and rang up a dozen shutouts. The 1925 season was no different, with the Crimson Tide running up a 9-0 record and only allowing a single touchdown the whole season.

It helped that his squad boasted two of the greatest talents in southern football at the time; All-American Allison "Pooley" Hubert and Johnny Mack Brown, also known as "the Dothan Antelope."

Up in the Pacific Northwest, the University of Washington football team was on a roll as well. In five years under head coach Enoch Bagshaw the Huskies had amassed a 37-6-5 record. The success was partially due to the presence of All-American George "Wildcat" Wilson.

On offense Wilson played halfback and was a master of the stiff-arm tactic to gain more yardage. Able to to run, pass and kick with equal skill it was impossible to predict what he might do with the ball in his hands. As a linebacker he anchored the Husky's stout defense.

The Husky’s 10-0-1 record in 1925 earned them the Pacific Coast Conference crown and an invitation to play in the 1926 Rose Bowl. But just who would be their opponent wasn’t clear at first.

Dartmouth had finished the 1925 season 8-0 and was considered the eastern champion but turned down the invite to play. Offers to Princeton and then Colgate were also extended and rejected.

Coach Wade gives last minute instructions
to his team before the game starts.

Finally, the Tournament of Roses committee turned to the recognized southern champion and offered an invitation to Alabama. Wade and his players accepted.

The general consensus was that Alabama was going to get whupped.

No less than coaching legend Glen "Pop" Warner said Washington was just too big for the smaller Crimson Tide squad to handle. Entertainer Will Rogers summed up the general sentiment when he called the Alabama the "Tusca-losers."

Washington’s players took a lot of such talk to heart, treating their game preparation as light workouts. Wade, on the other hand, promised his team three weeks of "tough hard practice" and kept his word.

The stops on the 2,000-mile train ride were punctuated with wind sprints and practices. Moreover, when the team arrived in Southern California Wade kept the player’s sightseeing jaunts to an absolute minimum.

So on Jan. 1, 1926 an estimated 45,000 spectators were on hand for the 12th Rose Bowl game in the distinctive horseshoe shaped stadium located in the Arroyo Seco section of Pasadena. In Alabama, theaters were set up with a special news wire so audiences could follow the play-by-play.

Washington’s Wilson didn’t waste much time before making his presence felt. In the first quarter he singlehandedly stopped an Alabama drive that reached the Washington 15-yard line with a tackle for a loss, a sack and an interception back to midfield.

The powerful halfback picked up most of the remaining yardage in the drive until the last play, when Harold Patton took it in from the one for the score. George Guttormsen's drop-kick for the extra point was no good. The Huskies were on the scoreboard 6-0.

Alabama's offense found itself stymied by the Wilson-led Husky defense on every possession. Hubert got so upset with his teammate's performance he called them over during a timeout and yelled, "All right, what the hell’s going on here?"

In the second quarter Wilson struck again ripping off a 36-yard-run to the Alabama 20. Then, on the very next play, he tossed a touchdown strike to Johnny Cole. Guttormsen missed the extra point once again. Washington was up 12-0.

Right before halftime, Wilson was hit hard by three Alabama players and fell to the ground unconscious. He was carried off the field and the second quarter finally expired.

The Alabama players were expecting a halftime speech from their coach that would sear the paint off the walls. Instead Wade walked into the locker room and, in a low voice, simply said: "They told me boys from the south would fight."

As Alabama returned to the field for the third quarter, Wade made a few key adjustments; moving heavier players to the end and allowing Hubert to run more. In addition, Washington's star player was still out of the game allowing Hubert and Brown a unique opportunity to go to work.

Alabama's Pooley Hubert dives in for the score.

On the Crimson Tide's first possession in the second half Hubert immediately ripped off 26-yard dash to the Alabama 12-yard-line. Hubert carried the ball on the next four plays, the last a one-yard plunge into the end zone. Bill Buckler made the extra point and the score was 12-7.

Alabama’s defense forced Washington to punt on the next possession and the Crimson Tide offense went to work again. Crimson Tide back Red Barns ripped off a pair of runs to the Alabama 39-yard line.

Washington got set for the run, bringing seven men to the line, and Grant Gillis took the ball and threw a long pass to Brown at the Washington 25. Brown sidestepped the only Husky defender between him and the goal line and scored. Buckler made the extra point and Alabama grabbed the lead, 14-12.

The Crimson Tide got another break on the next possession when Washington fumbled the ball over at their own 30-yard-line. Hubert immediately threw a pass to Brown who caught it at the three-yard-line and powered it in.

"I took it in stride," he said. "I used my stiff arm on one man and went over carrying somebody."

Buckler missed the kick after and the score was 20-12 in favor of the Crimson Tide. In the span of less than seven minutes, Alabama had managed to score three times and held Washington to less than 17 yards of offense.

Alabama was on another drive in the fourth quarter when Wilson came back in the game and the Huskies mustered the will to stop the Crimson Tide on fourth and one at the 12-yard-line.

Wilson then led his team the other direction. A 27-yard pass from the All-American to John Cole shaved Alabama's lead to a single point. The Washington kicker completed the point after but the Crimson Tide was still ahead 20-19.

The Crimson Tide secondary then stepped up to seal the game. On Washington’s next possession, Gillis intercepted a Wilson pass and Herschel Caldwell ended the Husky’s last possession in the same manner. Alabama prevailed 20-19.

Washington's Wilson finished the game with 134 yards in 15 carries, five completions for 77 yards and three touchdowns. He accounted for 211 of Washington’s 317 total yards and Alabama was unable to reach the end zone while he was on the field.

Yet, for the 22 minutes he was on the sideline the Huskies could only manage 17 yards and the Crimson Tide scored three unanswered touchdowns.

Well wishers await the team in Tuscaloosa.

The difference in the contest was Alabama kicker Buckler whose two of three extra point conversions provided the margin of victory.

The victory gave Alabama its first National Championship and raised the estimation of Southern football immensely. The Crimson Tide had "won the Rose Bowl for the whole South," Brown declared and the whole south turned out to celebrate.

The newspaper reports of the game had electrified the country and they showed up to celebrate their heroes. At every stop on the way back to Tuscaloosa the Alabama train was met with jubilant crowds, marching bands and the inevitable speeches by local panjandrums.

The Tuscaloosa train depot was inundated with well wishers as the train pulled in with eager fans climbing on the building’s roof for a better look at the players. It took an hour for the team caravan to progress from the depot to downtown – a distance of less than a mile.

Alabama football had finally arrived.

Sprints Wants the Money that the NCAA Owes It for All Its Bowl Work // 12.21.09

cocknfire — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:39:38 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

After all the confetti and free hats, who needs a bowl travel stipend?

Browse more photos »

A busy couple of days. First, today marks the beginning of the roll-out of the SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team. The results will be unveiled across several of our sites. We'll have an entry or two here and will provide you with a guide to the results as they're unveiled elsewhere.

Second, we have a good Team Speed Kills Now coming up for you on Tuesday. A two-hour edition -- which, yes, would make it twice as long as normal -- with several smart bloggers from the teams that will be opposing league members in the bowls. More on that tomorrow.

BCS NATIONAL TITLE GAME: ALABAMA VS. TEXAS

Maybe they're not all socialists
A lot of the commentary around the decision of the Tide to travel as a team to Pasadena has painted the Bama players as doing so out of a team mindset. It's also a scheduling issue.

But the late date of this year's game presented a problem in that most teams break for the holidays and then meet at the bowl site. Alabama could not do that unless it arrived very early for the BCS title game.

Not that there's not some indications that it was a team-centric decision as well. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. And the school is still trying to get them the money.

At least they'll all be there
The Tide avoids "academic casualties."

Kareem Jackson files NFL paperwork
The Tide CB is asking for his prospects to be evaluated.

Dunlap could have gotten a heck of a plea deal in Texas
D.J. Monroe, a kick returner for Texas, will play in the CBCSNCG after he plead guilt to "obstruction of a passageway," which sounds like it's several steps down from DWI. Drunk driving = chance to play for the national championship. Yes, that's a good message to send to college students.

I hope he went to Jared's
Nick Saban forgets his anniversary. This will only increase his stature among Alabama fans.

This is going to end with something burned to the ground
We hope a peaceful settlement could be reached, because I think we all know that it's going to get violent if Tide fans can't watch their team in the national title game.

We'll wait
After blogs found a site that was already selling merchandize for Alabama's 13th national title -- no, they mean the one this year; they haven't claimed another one -- the site now encourages Alabama fans to "Come back after the game."

They could always solve it by claiming another championship
The controversial end to the 1973 Cotton Bowl between Alabama and Texas.

SUGAR BOWL: FLORIDA VS. CINCINNATI

Dunlap playing sets a double standard at Florida?
Alligator Army is afraid of what the decision to allow Carlos Dunlap to play says about Florida -- not the team; the university.

I do not fault Meyer for ending the suspension, since his job is to get kids on the field not worry about an alcohol policy. ... If [UF President Bernie] Machen's influence ended the suspension, and does not extend to students caught in the same situation, Machen has created a problem for the University. Unless Machen now changes the alcohol policy at Florida, he has set a clear line between athletes and students.

Which is a more thoughtful analysis than about 99 percent of the blogosphere and the media have provided on this one.

Not that we shouldn't be asking ourselves this question
Goodman:

If Dunlap had taken his foot of the brake while sleeping at the traffic light (the car was in drive), drifted into the intersection and killed a few people, would he still be allowed to play?

Well I would hope not -- that sounds like enough for even Lou Holtz to suspend him for more than a game. But the purpose of the question -- to think about the thin line between what Dunlap did and something more consequential -- points to the problem with DUI. Had Dunlap been kicked off the team for this, some Florida fans and others would have said it was too strong a punishment for a youthful mistake. DUI is not just a youthful mistake; it is a potentially fatal mistake that shows little respect for human life. There are consequences for the rest of us, and it seems like there ought to be for athletes as well.

How long before they start a two-for-one special?
Florida is having trouble unloading its Sugar Bowl tickets. I'll repeat that: An SEC team is going to the Sugar Bowl and having trouble selling its tickets.

Cincinnati loses second head coach
The interim leader for the Sugar Bowl will leave for Buffalo after that.

OTHER NEWS

He's headed to the NFL
Eric Berry isn't saying anything now, but Lane Kiffin's announcement of an announcement is about all you need to know.

"I talked to Eric again this morning," Kiffin said. "We were going to have an announcement today, but after talking to him, we've just decided to wait until after the bowl game."

Only one reason to do it that way, particularly with Kiffin mentioning that Berry wants to "focus on winning this game."

Rich Brooks doesn't say "no" on retirement question
In fact, he doesn't even come close in an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Q: There's been a lot of speculation about your future. Will the Music City Bowl be your last game as the head coach of Kentucky?

A: I'll address that when the time is right.

Brooks does talk quite a bit about the future of the program in the story. But he doesn't exactly give the question the resounding "No" some Kentucky fans might like.

What's wrong with midnight baseball?
The SEC tries to tweak its tournament schedule to make sure those of us who watch aren't up too late.

A pitch clock also is part of the would-be solutions
Again, nothing that should cause too much heartburn. There's really no reason to take more than 20 seconds between pitches.

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Quarterbacks

mlmintampa — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:56:39 -0000

The SEC Power Poll will be releasing their All-SEC Team selections today on Team Speed Kills and on other SEC Power Poll member websites. Keep checking in throughout the day with Team Speed Kills for the next selections. Here are your SEC Power Poll All-SEC Quarterbacks;

Tim Tebow, Senior, Florida (six votes): The most memorable images of Tim Tebow this season might be him lying motionless on a field in Kentucky and being unable to control his emotions in Atlanta. In between, it was 2007 again for Tebow as he was the steady hand at the wheel. Tebow had 2413 yards passing and 18 touchdowns through the air. His 859 yards rushing were almost as much as a result of scrambling as they were designed plays. His 31 total touchdowns were more than necessary as Florida struggled to find two solid wide receivers and offensive tackles. Just as it was as a sophomore, Tebow was the first and last options for Florida. Whatever you think of Tebow, there will not just be a void left in Gainesville after Number 15 leaves; it will be across college football.

Ryan Mallett, Sophomore, Arkansas (five votes): Yes, Mallett is from Texarkana, so maybe Razorback fans had faith in the Michigan transfer that had come home. But Mallett's pinball numbers in Bobby Petrino's offense confirms that faith and makes the rest of the SEC think that Arky's rebuilding might be quicker than first thought. Mallett's 29 touchdowns (fifth nationally) led Arkansas to top-ten national finishes in scoring and passing offense. On a better team, Mallett might have been the top giant killer this season too; the Hogs were field goals away from defeating Florida and LSU on the road. In those two games, Mallett was 29-66, 451 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. It seems pedestrian, until you remember that this was the first year of Mallett in Petrino's system and he had 3422 yards this season. All signs point to Mallett being a force in the SEC.

Greg McElroy, Junior, Alabama (one vote): There was a point this season when people wondered if McElroy had the ability to lead Alabama back to the SEC Championship Game. That was before rallying the Tide against Auburn, throwing the winning touchdown to complete a 15-play, seven minute drive, as his Heisman winning running back sat on the bench in pain. If that wasn't enough, a week later, the mighty Gators couldn't stop McElroy from scrambling or hitting guys 15 yards upfield. Tebow might be more demonstrative and Mallett might be a freak of nature, but McElroy wins ballgames. He has won his last 29 games as a starter, going back to high school. He has the least touchdowns of the top-two vote getters (18 total to Mallett and Tebow's 31), but McElroy isn't asked to do as much as those two. The only numbers that matter to McElroy are 14 and 0.

Shilling for a Good Cause: Alabama Crimson Tide BCS Title Game & SEC Title Football Raises Funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama

Todd — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:03:21 -0000

You may recall that last year we did a post for a limited edition football to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and they're back again this year with a new football to commemorate the perfect '09 season and berth in the National Title Game. There's more info at www.nikcosports.com (and the press release and ordering info is after the jump), but here's what they will look like:

Limited Edition Football & Display Case a Great Collectible for Bama Fans

Crimson Tide Celebrates "Perfect"Regular Season

And Hopes to Land National Title #13 in Pasadena

Only 5,000 BCS Championship Game Footballs Will Be Produced

Funds from Sales Will Benefit

Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Georgia and Alabama

            Tuscaloosa, AL – Is history on the side of the Crimson Tide? And is 13 Alabama’s lucky number?

Those are two questions being pondered today as Alabama’s 13-0 and top-ranked football team gets ready for a BCS Championship game date against the #2 Texas Longhorns, going against an opponent they have not faced since the 1982 Cotton Bowl. The last time and ONLY time Alabama won 13 games in a season they went on to win the national title,, defeating Miami in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl game. This time around they hope to win the school’s 13^th national title and gain a school record 14^th win when they face Texas out in Pasadena, CA on January 7.

All these numbers and the history-making is also getting the attention of some youngsters who have some life-threatening medical conditions and look to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Georgia and Alabama to raise monies to get wishes granted for them, especially during the holiday season. That’s because Nikco Sports announced it will be working with them on a project to produce a limited edition, full-sized Alabama BCS title game football to help raise some funds for the local youngsters.

Just 5,000 of the officially licensed footballs, complete with the official BCS Championship logo on one of the three white panels, will be produced. Each football comes with a handsome acrylic display case and is priced at $99 each. In recent years, Nikco Sports has raised more than $1.7 million for children’s charities.

Tide fans can order the footballs while the supply lasts by calling 1-800-345-2868 or visiting www.nikcosports.com. Each football is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity, suitable for framing, to enhance the value.

The football will feature three distinct and attractive white panels, each one full of historic and important information. These will not be sold elsewhere, making it a "must-have" for any diehard Bama fan, something that can be displayed proudly at home, in an office or used as a fundraising gift at golf events or silent auctions. A special gift flyer that includes a photo of the football can also be downloaded off the Nikco Sports website so fans can use as a holiday gift idea immediately.



            Here’s a quick overview of the 3 white panels on the football:

Panel One will contain information about the school’s stadium history, including the date of the first game played there on Sept. 28, 1929. In the center of this panel is the traditional school logo and to the right side of that is a listing of Bama’s championship history, including a listing of all 12 national titles, and recognition of 26 conference championships, 10 undefeated seasons and 57 bowl appearances.

Panel Two will recap the 2009 regular season, game-by-game, with opponents and final scores of each contest, and also will be framed around another Alabama school logo. It also has a printed inscription that reads "Perfect Regular Season."

Panel Three is reserved for the official BCS championship game logo, and includes the venue of the January 7, 2010 game (Pasadena) along with the two opponents (Texas vs. Alabama). If the Crimson Tide goes on to win the national title, the final score of the game and the words "National Champions" will be added to this section of the football.

Fans will need to purchase the football before the January 7 game to lock in their opportunity to own this historic piece of Alabama football history.

"Alabama certainly has posted an impressive run to an unbeaten regular season, including that dramatic SEC title game win over top-ranked Florida," noted Nikco Sports CEO Craig Bidner, whose company has continued to give back to the community since its inception in 1992. "When you think of Bama football, which dates back to 1892, you think of their rich history, the 12 national titles and their consistency—the only SEC school to win a league title in each decade since the SEC began in 1933. Very impressive.

"Impressive is another description I would use to describe the work being done by the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Georgia and Alabama, as they help out youngsters who have some life-threatening medical conditions. We’re honored and pleased to be a part of a project that can salute both the great football history of Alabama, and help out the youngsters at the local Make-A-Wish Foundation, especially during the holiday season."

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation^® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the U.S. and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants more than 12,600 wishes a year and has granted more than 168,000 wishes in the U.S. since inception.

Alabama vs Texas: 1982 Cotton Bowl

kleph — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:01:20 -0000

In the long history of the Alabama and Texas football programs, the two teams have met just eight times on the gridiron. This week Roll Bama Roll is looking back on each of these contests. Today we revisit the most recent game between the two, the 1982 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

The 1982 Cotton Bowl marked the last time Alabama and Texas faced each other on the football field and was the penultimate post-season game for the Crimson Tide's legendary coach Paul W. Bryant.

After almost a quarter-century in Tuscaloosa and 37 years as a head coach, Bryant's career was in its twilight and his legacy was almost complete. The 1981 season had seen Bryant pass one of the most revered milestones in college football - Amos Alonzo Stagg's 314 career head coaching wins.

On Nov. 14, Bryant tied Stagg's record with an emotional victory against Joe Paterno's Penn State squad in Happy Valley. Two weeks later, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama beat arch-rival Auburn 28-17 and Bryant became the winningest coach in the history of the game.

The pursuit of Stagg's record had drawn unprecedented media attention on Bryant and the team during the season and it left both on unusual down note in its wake. But Alabama had a lot at stake going into the bowl season.

The Crimson Tide shared the SEC Conference championship with Georgia. The Bulldogs - boasting the powerful running attack of Hershel Walker - were ranked No. 2 at the end of the season and tapped for the Sugar Bowl vs Pitt. As the number three team in the nation, Alabama drew the matchup with No. 6 Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Coach Bryant at the 1982 Cotton Bowl.

A victory in Dallas would give Bryant two of the few achievements that had eluded him in his long career - a win over Texas as coach at Alabama and an NCAA record seven straight bowl wins. And a longshot national championship was also not out of the question either.

The Texans, though, had other plans. When Darrell Royal stepped down following the 1976 season, one of his former assistants, Fred Akers, was selected to fill his place. Although Royal stayed on as athletic director, Akers went to work making his own mark on the program.

Gone was the wishbone and in came the "I" - an offense designed specifically to capitalize on the talents of running back Earl Campbell. An 11-1 record followed the Longhorn record of success rolled on. Texas tallied a respectable 9-3 record the next two seasons but 1980 brought a 7-5 record and a fair bit of grumbling by the faithful.

Akers and his program responded with a rebound in 1981. The Longhorns suffered one tie and one loss during the regular season - although the loss was a doozy, a 42-11 bashing by Lou Holtz's Arkansas squad. The Cotton Bowl marked a chance to finish the campaign on a high note.

Cotton Bowl Stadium was packed on New Year’s Day 1982 with 73,243 people on hand in the 42 degree weather to see the contest. The game began as a defensive struggle as neither offense could much progress for almost a quarter and a half.

Midway through the second period Alabama got the ball on their own 18-yard-line and began working their way down the field. On the seventh play of the drive, quarterback Walter Lewis completed a six yard pass to receiver Jesse Bendross and put the Crimson Tide on the scoreboard. It would be the only score in the first three periods of the contest but the fourth quarter proved to be a roller coaster.

Just more than two-and-a-half minutes into the fourth quarter, Alabama kicker Peter Kim tacked another three points onto the Crimson Tide lead. Then, suddenly, the momentum started swinging the other direction.

Texas return man Jitter Fields took the kickoff 22 yards, all the way to the Texas 40-yard-line. The Alabama defense finally slacked a bit and the Longhorns were able to drive to the Crimson Tide 30-yard-line, the farthest the Texans had managed all afternoon.

A pair of incomplete passes had the Longhorns staring at 3rd & 10. When Texas quarterback Robert Brewer stepped up to take the snap he didn't like the defensive formation he saw across from him and called a timeout.

Akers discarded the planned sprint-out pass and dialed up a quarterback draw - a play Texas had not run the entire season. When Alabama then brought an all-out blitz but the Longhorn line parried it perfectly. Brewer followed his blocks and reeled off a 30-yard run into the end zone. Alabama 10, Texas 7.

On their next possession, Texas kept up the pressure on the Alabama defense. In 10 plays the Longhorns had traversed 72 yards and had the ball on the Crimson Tide eight yard line. Texas fullback Terry Orr punched it in to give the Longhorns the lead.

Alabama's defense controlled the game for three quarters.

With more than two minutes left in the game, Alabama had plenty of time to put together a scoring drive. The odds got even better when Joey Jones returned the kickoff 61 yards to Texas 38-yard-line - the longest return in Cotton Bowl history.

Lewis threw for the end zone on the first play of the Alabama possession and Texas free safety William Graham reeled it in. The Longhorn was immediately tackled on the one yard line.

Three quarterback sneaks (and a delay of game penalty) made it 4th down on the 2-yard-line with just less than a minute left in the game. Akers then instructed his punter, Josh Goodson, to take the snap and step out of the end zone for an intentional safety.

Alabama got the ball back but with 43 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts, it wasn't able to put any more points on the board. Texas walked away, once again, with a win: 14-12.

Akers later said it was the greatest victory of his coaching career and Bryant gave him full credit for the win and praised the call for the intentional safety. What the Crimson Tide coach didn't put any stock in was the idea there was any jinx at work on Alabama for facing the Longhorns.

"I don’t think there is a Texas whammy on Alabama," he said. "Their players and coaches beat us - not a whammy."

Bryant would go onto coach for one more season. He announced his retirement two weeks before the Liberty Bowl and the 21-15 win over Illinois was his final victory - the 323rd of his head coaching career.

Less than a month later the Bryant passed away of a heart attack at the age of 69.

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team Ballot

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:56:05 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2009, file photo, Alabama running back Mark Ingram (22) runs past Mississippi defenders for a second quarter 36- yard touchdown run during an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss. Ingram won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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No frills or arguments here, just the ballot. It's pretty straightforward and will be compiled amongst the other blogs ballots to reach an SEC blogosphere All-SEC squad. Comment and criticize our selections, please.

QB - Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

HB - Mark Ingram, Alabama

HB - Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss

FB - Tim Tebow (lololololololol), Florida

WR - Shay Hodge, Ole Miss

WR - AJ Green, Georgia

TE - Colin Peek, Alabama

OL - Ciron Black, LSU

OL - Michael Johnson, Alabama

OL - Mike Pouncey, Florida

OL - James Carpenter, Alabama

OL - Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

DE - Carlos Dunlap, Florida

DE - Antonio Coleman, Auburn

DT - Terrence Cody, Alabama

DT - Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss (why the hell not?)

LB - Eric Norwood, South Carolina

LB - Rolando McClain, Alabama

LB - Brandon Spikes, Florida

S - Eric Berry, Tennessee

S - Chad Jones, LSU

CB - Joe Haden, Florida

CB - Patrick Peterson, LSU

K - Leigh Tiffin, Alabama

P - Drew Butler, Georgia

RET - Javier Arenas, Alabama

Alabama vs Texas: 1973 Cotton Bowl

kleph — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:03:30 -0000

In the long history of the Alabama and Texas football programs, the two teams have met just eight times on the gridiron. Roll Bama Roll is looking back on each of these contests. Today we revisit the epic 1973 Cotton Bowl.

The 1973 Cotton Bowl was the last meeting between two coaching legends who had dominated the previous decade college football and then reinvented themselves to continue their winning ways.

Darrell K Royal and Paul W. Bryant were longtime friends and colleagues with an abiding respect for each others skills as coaches. Bryant once claimed he spent $10,000 a year in phone calls to Texas to talk shop with the Longhorn head coach. On occasion, they had been sideline rivals as well.

The coaches had rebuilt the proud Texas and Alabama football programs and then guided them to an impressive collection of conference titles and national championships during the 1960s. But as the decade waned, so did the fortunes of the two teams and the men that led them.

Between 1965 and 1967, four-loss seasons became the hallmark of Royal's Longhorns. A 7-10 loss to arch-rival Texas A&M (coached by Bryant protégé, Gene Stallings) to close the 1967 season brought the situation to a head.

Darrell Royal and the wishbone offense.

Surveying his program Royal identified the team's anemic offensive production as the cause of the problem - the Longhorns only generated only 18.6 points per game in 1967 - and started searching for solutions.

The answer was provided by Texas' offensive coordinator, Emory Bellard - a three-man back-field triple option offense, better known as "the wishbone." Royal unveiled it at the start of the 1968 season and promptly collected a tie against Rice and a loss to Texas Tech.

Then things clicked into place. From the third game of the season until the final game of the 1970 season, Texas didn't lose a single contest and rolled up a pair of National Championships along the way.

It was about this time that Bryant began to look for ways to break the malaise that seemed to have a death grip on his program in Tuscaloosa. Losses had begun to pop up more often than normal until the Crimson Tide racked up a mediocre 6-5-1 record in 1970 garnished with a second straight loss to arch-rival Auburn.

Bryant found himself at the impasse Royal had reached three years prior. And the effectiveness of Royal’s solution was hammered home for Bryant when he faced Oklahoma in the 1970 Bluebonnet Bowl. The Sooners had adopted a version of the wishbone to counter its conference rival and brought it to Houston against Alabama. The game ended in a tie but it started Bryant thinking.

So, in the spring of 1971, Bryant flew to Austin to learn the intricacies of the offense from Royal. The Texas coach was not simply accommodating, he promised to be available by phone whenever Bryant might have a question in the future. That summer, Bryant brought Royal's staff to Tuscaloosa for a coaching clinic then locked the two groups in a hotel to get a crash course on how the wishbone worked.

Bryant unveiled his new strategy against USC on Sept. 10 1971 and stunned the unprepared Trojans. The 17-10 victory was the first of eleven the Crimson Tide amassed that season, the lone loss being to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Royal used the wishbone to fuel a high-powered running game based on options, fakes and inside blocking schemes. Bryant liked how it forced the secondary into man coverage which he could exploit with the passing game.

"With the wishbone you get what you want automatically," he said. "I don’t give a hoot what they do, I know what we’re going to do. We’re going to walk out there and read ‘em and go."

Things had gone well for all of 1972 as Alabama rolled up win after win all the way up to the Iron Bowl when they were stunned by Auburn 17-16. The loss put them out of the national championship picture and into the Cotton Bowl - against the master of the wishbone offense himself, Darrell Royal.

The Longhorns had a similarly frustrating season, winning every game except for an embarrassing shutout loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout. They finished the season by trouncing Texas A&M 38-3 then headed up I-35 to Dallas.

More than 70,000 spectators packed into Cotton Bowl Stadium on a partly cloudy and chilly afternoon to see which of the two legendary coaches would be adding to their legend that day. At first it looked like Bryant would walk away with an easy victory.

Texas’ quarterback, Alan Lowry, was suffering from tonsillitis and almost didn’t play. His start was unsurprisingly shaky. Alabama’s Steve Wade grabbed an errant pass by the ailing quarterback and, seven plays later a 50-yard field goal put the Crimson Tide on the scoreboard.

The teams traded punts but then Wade snagged another Lowry pass and returned it 42 yards to the Texas 31. On the next play Alabama’s Wilbur Jackson took a pitchout and scampered untouched into the end zone. Just more than ten minutes had elapsed in the game and Alabama was up 10-0.

A 24-yard field goal put the Longhorns on the scoreboard at the start of the second quarter and Alabama matched it with a 30-yarder at the end of the period. The teams went into the locker room at the half with Alabama up 13-3.

UT's Terry Melancon about to steal the ball
from Alabama's Wayne Wheeler.

After the intermission things began to go the Longhorns way. A short punt by Alabama gave Texas good field position and Royal dialed up the running game. Longhorn tailback Roosevelt Leaks was the workhorse in a 15-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Lowry scoring on a three-yard run.

With the ball on the Texas 34-yard line in the fourth quarter Alabama’s quarterback Terry Davis went for broke and tried to connect with wide receiver Wayne Wheeler in the end zone to put the game away. Texas’ Terry Melancon grabbed it instead and downed it for a touchback.

With 7:42 left in the game the Longhorn offense went into high gear. Two passes got them to the Alabama 42-yard line and two running plays advanced it eight yards further.

Then, on third and two, Lowry took the snap, hid the ball on his hip and ran the bootleg play to the left. He cut sharply at the sideline and stayed dangerously close the white border the whole 34 yards to the end zone (so close that some later claimed he stepped out of the bounds at the 10 yard line).

The score put Texas ahead for good 17-13.

Still, Alabama staged a furious drive to regain the lead marching 47 yards down the field to the Texas 43 yard line before they were forced to turn over the ball on downs. Texas prevailed against Alabama once again.

It proved to be the final time the two coaches faced each other as Royal stepped down as coach of the Longhorns in 1976 with a 184-60-5 record – as well as a perfect 4-0 against Bryant. He remained the schools athletics director until 1980.

The next season, the wishbone was the key to one of the best offenses in Crimson Tide history. Alabama outscored opponents 477-113 on their way to an 11-1 record and the national championship. And the offense was still in place in 1978 and 1979 when the Crimson Tide claimed two more titles – the final ones under Bryant.

Sprints Is Interested In Hiring a Florida Assistant // 12.17.09

cocknfire — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:54:27 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Time out, guys. Why are you all leaving?

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Is anybody left?
More Florida assistants are being considered for jobs in other places.

Three members on the staff -- quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler, cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford and new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni -- are on the candidate list for head-coaching openings at two different schools. ...

Azzanni, hired last Friday to replace Billy Gonzales on the UF staff, is considered a possible strong candidate for the head-coaching job at the school he just left -- Central Michigan. That job came open Wednesday.

Look on the bright side, Gators fans: Nobody is trying to hire Steve Addazio yet.

Tennessee boosters aren't upset about alleged Orange Pride violations
Which is really a surprise, SEC boosters being such known sticklers for following the rules.

"Not really, no," Hamilton said. "And frankly I'm surprised I haven't heard more, given the depth and the breadth of our fan base ... I've had a couple of e-mails, a couple of phone calls, but that's about it."

That's because they're too busy writing blog posts trying to undermine a completely legitimate news story by pointing out the difference between 178 miles and 200 miles. No, I'm not referring to anyone in particular.

It's all part of the plan
Boy Wonder has apparently excited the Vols fan base so much that they're staying home during football games.

The University of Tennessee failed to reach the six-digit mark in annual home-game football attendance last season for the first time since 1995, UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said Wednesday.

"I think our average attendance is going to be slightly under 100,000 for the first time in a while," said Hamilton in an interview with the News Sentinel.

The economy and -- I'm not making this up -- a new way for students to pick up their tickets are being blamed.

Georgia will have a new defensive coordinator by Valentine's Day. Maybe.
Richt on his search for a replacement for Willie Martinez:

"I would say the safest bet -- and I don’t want to put a timetable on it -- but ... I’d hate to think it goes much past the first week of January," Richt said. "We’ve got to get back on the road recruiting. ... Even then I’m not going to say 100 percent because I’m not 100 percent sure when it will happen. I wouldn’t imagine it going too much past that."

At least he had a plan when he got rid of Willie Martinez: Hire a new defensive coordinator. He doesn't seem to have gotten very far beyond that point.

In fairness, for some SEC schools the defendant would have been traveling to the NC game. With the team.
An actual legal brief in Alabama contains this sentence.

Most of the attorneys representing all of the named Defendants have tickets and reservations to be in Pasadena on the 6th day of January, 2010, which date would conflict with trial date as travel times and schedules for the game overlap the trial as currently set.

Apparently, the plaintiffs are represented by Auburn fans and aren't willing. This is why Tony Barnhart said the Iron Bowl "is a cultural war and the participants just use football to fight it."

One of them will not survive
This almost sounds like a sports version of the Colbert Report. (Better Know a Gift Package?)

And what about Terrence "Mount" Cody? Does Trek make a bike that can support Alabama's 6-foot-5, 354-pound behemoth?

"No, but we'll send him one (if Cody selects a bike)," Weaver said. "Three-hundred fifty-four pounds is definitely pushing the limit, but they do not have a specific weight limit."

That would have to be one well-constructed bike.

TCU?
Hey Jenny Slater once again goes through the Old School Plus One exercise. I don't agree with every one of his predictions, but this is pretty much correct.

If the top bowls were freed from the strictures of computer rankings, automatic qualifiers, and the BCS's ridiculously convoluted rules for which bowls get to pick teams in which order, we'd not only get better, more meaningful games, but we'd also get an even more definitive national champion.

That's a Plus One I could live with. The problem is that it still wouldn't be enough for the playoff partisans for whom anything not involving a bracket can't possibly produce a real champion.

Gators Fans: Guilty By Association

aramnath — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:53:10 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

This was taken before Tebow burst into tears and college football fans around the country rejoiced. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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To be honest I haven't met too many Gators fans and the ones I have met seemed nice enough. I know a few people that went down to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl a couple of years ago for the Michigan-Florida match-up and said they had a great time and that for the most part Gators fans treated them well.

The reason most college sports fans hate the Florida Gators has little to do with their fans and more about the combination of their amazing recent success in football and men's basketball and two of the most nauseatingly hyped up college athletes in recent memory; Tim Tebow and Joakim Noah.

I respect that Tebow's a great guy and is one of the great college players of all-time, but I could have done without the close-ups of him during every game followed up by announcers inevitably spending 25 minutes talking about how he's such a winner, how intense he is and how there's never been a leader like him. Then he had that speech after Ole Miss ran the Gators at the Swamp last year and that was probably the most overplayed segment in the history of sports. To sum it up imagine every single reason you hate hearing about Brett Favre (i.e. he's a kid out there, he just loves playing, he's a gunslinger etc.) and now you understand why everybody but Gators fans were ecstatic when Alabama stomped on you in this year's SEC Championship and we got to see Tebow cry.

While I think most of the vitriol towards the Gators related to Tebow stems from the non-stop media coverage of the guy more than anything he ever did, Joakim Noah is a completely different case. Noah's middle-school antics, the fact that we had to hear about his energy and hustle non-stop during two national championship runs when he wasn't even the best player his team was more than I could bare.

This guy was an absolute clown what made it worse was how ESPN and the media ate this shit up. It was as if we were witnessing the de-evolution of mankind in front of our eyes and it was being celebrated and praised as if it was something we should all strive for. It was bad enough that Florida won back-to-back national championships , but couldn't they have had Al Horford or somebody more human and likeable receive the accolades and attention?

There's unbridled joy and raw emotion, like Mark Ingram's Heisman speech and then there's that. The fact that he looks like Sideshow Bob is bad enough, but when you combine it with behavior more often found in our relatives in the ape family it becomes unbearable. I mean when you can't respond normally during interviews it really makes it hard for anybody to be able to relate to you.

Gators fans take heart in the fact that almost every other college wishes they could duplicate the success you've had in the latter part of this decade in capturing a pair of national titles in football and men's basketball. I can tell you that my sporting experience is no match for that, but please don't chalk up the hate for your school to plain, old jealousy. We wish we could win like you guys did, but that's not the main reason we hate you. You have Tebow, Noah and the media that transformed them into cult figures to thank for that.

Poll

SB Nation - Alabama Crimson Tide

SEC 2000-10: The Best Player -- Tim Tebow

The 1926 Rose Bowl: Alabama vs Washington

Sprints Wants the Money that the NCAA Owes It for All Its Bowl Work // 12.21.09

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Quarterbacks

Shilling for a Good Cause: Alabama Crimson Tide BCS Title Game & SEC Title Football Raises Funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama

Alabama vs Texas: 1982 Cotton Bowl

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team Ballot

Alabama vs Texas: 1973 Cotton Bowl

Sprints Is Interested In Hiring a Florida Assistant // 12.17.09

Gators Fans: Guilty By Association

Which Gator do you dislike most?